SaaStr 821: Swapping Stories - Building AI-First Companies: Insights from Zapier’s CEO and Co-Founder Wade Foster

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors

SaaStr 821: Swapping Stories - Building AI-First Companies: Insights from Zapier’s CEO and Co-Founder Wade Foster Join us for an in-depth conversation with Wade Foster, co-founder and CEO of Zapier, on the SaaStr AI Swapping Stories Podcast! Wade shares how Zapier is leading the way in AI-powered automation, the evolution from simple workflows to agentic systems, and why AI fluency is now a must-have for every new hire.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The journey of Zapier from integration tool to AI orchestration platform
• Real-world examples of agentic workflows and automation at scale
• How Zapier’s culture embraces “don’t be a robot, build a robot”
• The impact of AI on sales, customer success, and internal operations
• Tips for companies looking to hire and upskill for an AI-first future
• The latest trends in AI tools, including voice-to-text and workflow automation

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or just curious about the future of work, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration.

And see you at Zapconnect next week (sign up here - it's free.)

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Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026. With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year. But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.